Most of us think of a workplace as an office setting with desks, computers, printers, copiers, papers in need of being controlled in folders and filing cabinets, cubicles, and offices contained in multi-storied buildings. Some other locations are also workplaces but we close our minds to that reality.

Types of Work Environments

A workplace is an environment where the transactions of doing business are executed. The business transactions of a school are teaching students about particular subjects and how to perform the tasks associated with those subjects. There are traditional office details in the administrative offices. But there are other offices, such as classrooms, libraries, cafeterias, and playgrounds or athletic facilities.

Likewise, the factory where widgets and parts are either assembled or else packaged to be sent to the customer are also workplaces. There are still loose papers that need attention but those papers usually hold information about the projected being managed and prepared and the outcome of the process in terms of time for completion, number of units completed in one shift, and so on. Factories are a little closer to what we perceive as a formal workplace. But when compared and contrasted to the teaching environment, the responsibilities and overall environment are essentially the same. There are few real differences.

The loading dock is yet another workplace. Moving and storage businesses, especially storage sites, are workplaces. The plumber, pest control, lawn or pool service, housekeeping personnel, and even parks are all types of workplaces for various types of professionals delivering the services.

Think about a shopping mall or a store. Yes, those are definitely workplaces. In the case of the mall, it is similar to a multi-story building because there are many businesses ensconsed within the belly of the one super structure. Each business within the mall has its own autonomy, subject to the terms and conditions of the lease. Have no doubt, these are businesses complete with employees, payroll, inventory, supplies. Come to think of it, restaurants and eateries would come under the same definition.

While we're engaged in examining the various types of work environments, let us also remember the places that are either non-traditional or that we take for granted. Apartment buildings, hospitals, and retirement facilities are work environments that have particular special purviews. Even a police precinct, fire station, and vehicles associated with those jobs are satellite workplaces. But the rules governing how a business should be run are not that drastically different from the desk job in the formal office setting. It's simply how the place looks and what's done there that makes it different.

As It Relates to HR

So what's all this preamble about the different types of work environments? Why are we spending so much time on something so fundamental? Everyone knows what a workplace is. Ahhh. And there's the fly in the buttermilk. It's those non-traditional and out of the ordinary places that sort of throw us for a loop. We take those places for granted. We don't ordinarily think of the beauty, barber, or nail salon as a workplace where the strictures of HR would apply. Everyone is so composed and well spoken at our bank, they're so knowledgeable and well groomed. Why would they need a dress code or be held to the standards of an ethics code? We just can't conceive of harassment affecting any of those people.

When it comes to a national or regional park, there are still matters of onboarding. Considerations of retirement, absences caused by injuries or illnesses still need to be managed so that staff numbers don't drop, thereby leaving shortfalls and gaps in service. Ongoing training still needs to be done so that not only government requirements are met but also staying on par with the advances in techniques and equipment.

No matter what the workplace, employees feel empowered and needed when they can feel certain of the transparency in the organization. They are more likely to not see a glass ceiling because of their gender, accent, or color of their skin. So it's still important to focus on inclusiveness, be it in the school or the apartment community.

Which brings me to another aspect of HR responsibilities that we tend to take for granted. Workplace morale can drop while attrition rates escalate if people feel they are not included, not rewarded, have to endure more than the usual on a continuing and crescendoing basis. The amount of untapped gossip that's allowed can stir tensions greater than those in a Big Brother or Survivor environment where there are quasi teams for the sake of the games but the back scene teams bent on creating confusion and distrust. HR wants to encourage management to develop a healthy team atmosphere if for no other reason than the survival of the business and customer goodwill.

You can be in any type of environment outside of your own residence and still find yourself in a work environment of some type. (Yes, even the interstate is part of the government's workplace.) Employment laws will still apply to the situation and HR needs to be aware of the governance required and how to apply it. There are rules and accountability for violating them as well as rewards of some type for upholding them - even if it's merely a pizza day for doing a great job over a period of time. A workplace doesn't morph into not being one because of your relationship to it. Whether a customer, a manager, employee, or HR professional, if you're not inside your own home, you're in some type of workplace and the rules of employment still need to be applied.